Friday, December 30, 2011

Feeling regret over all that holiday bingeing? Turn over a new leaf in 2012 with a free 7-day pass to 24-hour Fitness. It's good for free classes as well as the regular gym, so you can get started on the most-calories-burned-in-one-week world record.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

If you're finding it hard to wean yourself off all that deliciously fatty holiday fare, you don't have to start just yet! Waffle House has a coupon for a free order of hash browns, good through Jan. 20. That ought to be enough to wreck a resolution or two.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

If you're feeling the chill while you're out and about doing holiday errands on Xmas Eve, stop in to your local Peet's for free brewed coffee and tea all day! (See the second paragraph on that page.) Flask optional.

I'm not exactly sure what "gift item" means — that could be just about anything at this time of year, as past holidays have taught me. But you can get 40% off one gift item, whatever that is, at Barnes & Noble now through Dec. 24.

6-pack of pom-pom ankle socks? Power drill bits with no drill? What will YOU pick?

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Sign up for some free samples of Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser and Pore Strips. Generally I try to avoid ice on my face, at least in winter, but I guess Biore knows what they're doing. And who doesn't love those delightfully gross pore-junk-extracting nose strips?

Awww, you've been so busy and thoughtful this holiday season, running around getting gifts and sending cards and baking cookies for others... why not get something for yourself? Even better, it's free!

Sign up for your free purse-size Essence of Beauty hand cream at CVS, and they'll email you a coupon within a few minutes. Choose from Sunflower, Japanese Garden, or Citrus Coconut scents. Register by Dec. 26 and use your coupon by Dec. 30!

UPDATE: This deal is so hot, it broke their server! But don't worry, the discount goes through Dec. 24, so go have a peppermint latte or something and check back in a bit.

Looking for some last-minute stocking stuffers? Restaurant.com dining certificates are a great way to get discounts to restaurants you already know and love, or have just been wanting an excuse to try.

A $25-off certificate (generally off a minimum food purchase of $35) now costs just $1 with promo code JOY. There's usually some fine print, so check before you buy, but when else can you turn $1 into $25 this easily?

Monday, December 19, 2011

Planning to travel this winter? You can get a discount code from Virgin America and save 20% off your flight. The first 50,000 to sign up will be emailed a promo code, which you can apply to a flight between now and Feb. 15 (I'm assuming the holidays are blackout dates, even if they weren't already full).

Avoid the holiday travel craziness and go in January when things quiet down — and get cheap.

Groupon has a special holiday promotion running where the first 150,000 who buy a local deal in their area will receive $10 in Groupon Bucks placed in their account on Dec. 31! The Groupon Bucks you receive must be used by March 31, but that shouldn't be too hard to do.

If you're looking for a last-minute gift, buy a local Groupon and you can treat yourself too!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I've always thought Burger King had one of the better french-fry recipes in the fast food business... but starting in 2012, they're changing their recipe to be more "natural," whatever that means. However, on Dec. 16, they're giving away free "value" (aka $1 size) french fries, so you can try it for yourself and judge!

"The trend in french fries is toward more 'natural' offerings. That includes fries that are or appear to be made from fresh-cut potatoes and topped with 'artisan' toppings like sea salt."

The Target gift card offer is back, in a slightly less appealing form... this time you'll have to spend $75 in order to get the free $10 gift card. Still, if you're buying a couple of gifts and some holiday dinner groceries, maybe some candy or wrapping paper, it won't be hard to hit the minimum purchase!

Offer is valid from Friday, Dec. 16, at 5:00 pm through noon on Dec. 17, so choose your shopping times wisely...

Friday, December 9, 2011

You may remember this offer from last year, when Restaurant.com just started shooting free $10 dining certificates out of a cannon during the holidays, and it's BACK! Go to their Feed it Forward site and login with your regular Restaurant.com account (or create one) in order to start sending $10-off coupons to your favorite local restaurants. Send one to your coworker, send one to your mailman, send one to your yoga teacher! They're free, so why not?

Here's a deal that I won't have any trouble qualifying for... it is not hard at all to rack up $50 at Target on things I simply must have (especially since they have surprisingly good prices on baking supplies).

Get a $10 gift card with this coupon when you spend $50 at Target, now through Dec. 12. Even if you're way more organized than me and already have your holiday shopping done, stock up on toiletries or groceries and you'll be there in no time!

Now this one really mystifies me (even more than the gelatinous crystal air freshener chunks). At Einstein Bros., you can get something called "Holiday Bagel Poppers" free with any beverage purchase. They look like donut holes, in that they're covered in frosting and sprinkles, but I assume they must be bagels under there because they're called "bagel poppers."

If you dip a bagel bite in frosting and sprinkles, does that make it a donut hole? I guess there's only one way to find out. Somebody try it and tell us!

I have to confess I'm not really on board with plasticky air fresheners, which are not very environmentally friendly. But if you simply MUST have some smelly Jello bits in a glass bowl in your home, at least get them for free with this mail-in rebate offer.

"Try For Free! Renuzit Crystal Elements Air Freshening Crystals (Up to $2.99 on the 9 oz refill and Up to $5.60 on 18 oz refill). Purchase at your favorite retailer between 11/14/11 and 2/28/12 and postmark your rebate form by March 31, 2012."

Thursday, December 8, 2011

What's this? I leave town for a couple of weeks and they build an ice rink in the middle of Capitol Hill? If you're as curious as I am, try it out free tomorrow, Dec. 9, from 11 am to 3 pm. (Admission is normally $12, so that's a pretty sweet deal if you're free during the day.)

Apparently the rink is using "synthetic ice," whatever that is, which some people have griped just isn't the same. There's only one way to know...

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

This isn't THAT great of a deal, but maybe I'm just posting it because I'm nostalgic for the glory days of Borders coupons. Now through Dec. 8, you can get 20% off one item at Barnes & Noble's online store using promo code T3N9N3L.

Of course, that doesn't really make up for having to pay shipping unless you hit the $25 free shipping mark, so it's probably best used on a bigger-ticket item. Sadly, the Nook e-reader is excluded from this deal, but it looks like just about everything else is fair game.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Ready for nonstop holiday music between now and the 25th? If you need more holly jolly in your life, check out the free-song-a-day offer on Amazon.com. Every day, another new holiday song is available for free download, so there are already five free songs waiting for you!

This offer is how I originally heard the Lady Gaga "Christmas Tree" song, which has become one of my favorites, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they have this year...

Restaurant.com giving 80% discounts off their dining certificates isn't really new (use promo code GIFT through Dec. 7), but they're also running a buy-five-get-one-free special. It's a little vague on how it works, but it sounds like when you put five certificates into your cart, the sixth one won't appear to be in your cart, but will magically be delivered to you along with the rest.

Worth a try if you're already ordering a bunch as stocking stuffers, I guess!

Friday, November 11, 2011

There are a TON of Veterans' Day freebies floating around on the Internets, and more industrious souls than I have already compiled them into some excellent mega-lists. Here's a good one from HeyIt'sFree.net, including lots of national chains — but it's always a good idea to call ahead to make sure your location is participating.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Hey Seattle gluten-haters, Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery wants YOU to try a free loaf of their GF bread. Just like them on Facebook and fill out the form, and you'll receive a coupon for a free loaf. Don't worry, you can find the bread at regular groceries, not just weirdo hippie stores.

Here's a local freebie offer for Veterans' Day: Seattle fast-food chain Dick's is offering free hamburgers or cheeseburgers to veterans who show their military ID, or show up dressed in uniform. Add it to your list for tomorrow!

Just in time for the start of the holiday gluttony season, here's a special from Restaurant.com for 80% off their dining-discount coupons. A $25-off coupon (usually off a minimum $35 check; see restaurant's restrictions) will run you $2 when you use promo code HAM.

This offer is good through Nov. 15. Shop wisely, and you should have enough coupons to see you through an entire season of festive get-togethers...

Well, it's official: Barnes & Noble is ready to step up and take Borders' discarded tiara as the king of coupons! (Maybe a tiara isn't sufficiently kingly?) Last week's 50% off coupon worked flawlessly at the store for me, so this coupon for 50% off kids' picture books should be equally smooth. (The printable coupon link is in the comments section.)

There's no stated limit for the number of books you can buy, so I think everybody on my list is getting a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar for Xmas this year. Don't tell!

The Boozeday fun continues with a $10 rebate from Bacardi Rum. Get $10 back by mail when you buy any two bottles from the following list. You must purchase two different brands to receive the rebate, so this is your excuse to try that dubious flavored vodka or rum you've been eyeing at the store.

This offer is only valid in certain states, so as always with any mail-in rebate, make sure to read the fine print so you know you're crossing all the T's and dotting all the I's. That spells FREE BOOZE.

Friday, November 4, 2011

What's this? Is Barnes & Noble stepping into the coupon-parade shoes of the now-defunct Borders? Today they've got a fans-only promotion: click "Claim Coupon" to get your personalized coupon for 50% off the list price of one book.

Veterans, here's a freebie just for you: "All active, non-active, or retired military personnel can get a free Everyday Value Slam (2 eggs to order, 2 pancakes and either 2 bacon strips or 2 sausage links) at participating Denny's Restaurants. Available from 6 am until 2 pm on November 11, 2011, just show a valid military ID. Limit one per person, beverages not included. No substitutions."

Thursday, October 27, 2011

I know you don't want to think about it yet, but the holidays are coming! And the beauty of giving magazines is that if you do it now, the first issue will actually arrive sometime around the holidays, so your timing will be perfect.

Hearst is having a $5 magazine sale on a dozen or so titles. Some of those are for partial-year subscriptions, so read the list carefully, but you should be able to find some mom-and-dad-friendly titles for those family gifts...

UPDATE: It starts at 1:00 pm Eastern time, or 10:00 am Pacific time for those of us on the West Coast. Set your reminders!

Last year, American Express did a support-small-business program during the holidays, where you'd get a $25 refund when you made a $25+ purchase at a small local business. This year they're doing it slightly differently by teaming up with FedEx via Facebook.

Starting on Nov. 1 (which could mean EDT or PDT - stay tuned!), the first 30,000 visitors to FedEx's Facebook page can sign up for a $25 ShopSmall AmEx gift card. This is all part of its campaign for Small Business Saturday (Nov. 26), encouraging shoppers to buy from their local independent businesses this holiday season. A good idea whether you get one of the gift cards or not!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Once again, Restaurant.com is offering 80% off on their discount gift certificates, this time as a Halloween special. Use code PUMPKIN through Oct. 31 to get 80% off — a $10-off coupon will cost you just under $1, and a $25-off coupon will cost you about $2.

For those prices, you could almost use them as trick-or-treat handouts (at least the parents would appreciate them)!

Monday, October 24, 2011

The season of sinus congestion is upon us, and what better time to enjoy a free Neti pot kit? Just send in the rebate form along with your receipt (with price circled) and the UPC code from the box, and you'll get your purchase price back up to $14.99.

Friday, October 21, 2011

It's been a little while since we had a 'poo freebie, but Aveeno saves the day with some free samples of their Living Color hair stuff! Scroll down to the bottom to find the link to the online form, and your samples will be on their way to you.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

It's officially tea time (says the lady with the stuffy nose and sore throat)! Start things off with some free Republic of Tea samples. Yes, you'll be signing up for their e-newsletter, so be sure to give them your very finest, and not at all junk, email account.

Fancy-pants bath-product store L'Occitane is offering a Facebook freebie to their fans: a free 10mL (1 oz.) hand cream, normally $10. When you "like" them, you'll register for a free coupon that they'll mail to you, which you take to a store to redeem.

Southwest is having a fare sale right now and their pricing structure makes sense: you pay based on the distance you travel. So it's $35 for a distance of up to 450 miles, and on up from there to $125.

Book by October 20 and fly November 30–December 14, 2011 or January 4–February 15, 2012.

Monday, October 17, 2011

The coffee freebies continue! Today you can get a free sample of Barista Prima K-cup coffee through Target's sample website. They offer quite a few samples through this page, so it's worth it to stop by occasionally and see what's available.

Friday, October 14, 2011

It seems to be Rebate Week, so let's keep it going with another one: get up to $2.99 back when you buy a full-size La Creme coffee creamer (available at Walmart and Safeway). You have until 12/31/11 to buy the product and send in the rebate, so you can even wait a while and save it for your Thanksgiving dinner or holiday cookie parties if you want.

One thing to remember with rebates is to read the instructions VERY carefully — sometimes they insist on you cutting out the UPC code, sometimes they don't, but they usually want the original receipt with the item(s) circled. So if you're trying to cash in on all the rebates this week, make sure you buy them in separate transactions so you have receipts to send off with each one.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Here's another old faithful: Restaurant.com has their dining certificates for 80% off using coupon code TOUCHDOWN (I think it's a soccer term?). You know the drill - basically you're buying $10-off or $25-off coupons for $1-2, and many of them come with minimum purchase amounts or other restrictions, but they can be a pretty good deal and there are lots of restaurants to choose from. Stock up and look like a big spender!

Well, how about that! Just the other day I was lamenting how the steady stream of Borders coupons always gave me things to post, and how I was going to miss them. And now we have a hauntingly similar promo code out from Zombie Borders! (The walking corpse of Borders.com is now being run by Barnes & Noble - you may have received an email this week notifying you that B&N was taking over Borders' email lists.)

Use promo code BNJ9464R to get 33% off yourentire order. Good through 12/6/11 - maybe to get rid of the last bits of inventory? That's even better than the single-item discount we used to get with the coupons! I already like Zombie Borders.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Looking for something to curl up with during the fall and winter months ahead? Sign yourself up for a $5 magazine subscription through Amazon. And I just want to point out that Country Living is much better than you're probably thinking — it's not like Country Bunnies Monthly or anything. For $5, you can afford to check it out, right?

Friday, October 7, 2011

It's quite the week for food rebates! In addition to the Progresso soup rebate, now we have one for PAM cooking spray. Get a free cooking spray in original, olive oil, or butter after mail-in rebate (up to $4.00). Send a copy of your cash-register receipt (dated 10/1/2011–4/27/2012) showing the purchase of PAM Original, Olive Oil, or Butter variety (with the purchase price circled), and the completed offer form. Must be received by 05/27/2012.

Just don't try to use the PAM to cook your soup. Nothing good can come of that.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Emergen-C is always giving away free samples, and this time they're offering samples of Emergen-C Kidz (start 'em young!). I wonder if I would have been fooled into thinking this was just a tasty drink mix if my parents had given it to me as a kid? It probably would have been better than the time my dad tried to pass off carob chips as chocolate.

If your morning commute was as chilly and rainy as mine, then there's no doubt in your mind that soup season is here. How about a free can of Progresso Rich & Hearty soup to start things off? Get a mail-in rebate for up to $2.68 when you buy one Progresso® Rich & Hearty Soup between 9/1/2011 and 1/31/2012. Fill in the rebate form and send in, along with the cash register receipt and UPC bar code symbol from can, postmarked by 2/17/2012.

Plus, that long, brisk walk as you attempt to find a mailbox or an open post office will warm you right up...

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

It's OCTOBER, you guys! Yikes, where did that come from? Time to start getting serious about my Halloween costume.

Get in the Halloween mood with this BOGO offer from Baskin-Robbins. Buy a cone, get one free on the flavor of the month, Trick Oreo Treat, which is "vanilla ice cream with orange creme-filled Oreo Cookies, Baby Ruth, and Butterfinger candy pieces." It kind of looks like leopard-print ice cream, which, frankly, is completely fine with me.

Friday, September 30, 2011

All these super-long, super-fancy product names are the bane of my freebie-blog existence. Not only does every product have to have like four adjectives in front of its name, but then they use bogus non-words like "NutriSkin," which to me sounds like a soy-milk skin forming on your granola-hemp cereal. Do they think we won't buy it if it doesn't have an eight-word-long name?

Anyway. Get a free sample of Dial body lotion. See, that wasn't so hard, was it?

Huh, does anyone out there actually have a Nintendo 3DS? I hear they're not selling so well. But anyway, if you have a DSi or a DSiXL or a 3DS, you can download a free copy of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition. Up to 4 people can play together at once via wifi, as long as you all have the game.

Good for a limited time, so download now and embark on a magically portable quest!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

After all those cups of free coffee, you're going to want to brush your teeth to avoid staining... so here's a freebie for a sample of Crest Complete toothpaste! This is what my dentist gives me, so let's just say I have a few travel-size tubes already lying around. I could probably just start squeezing it into my coffee to save time.

Whoa, this National Coffee Day thing is serious. 7-11 is celebrating by giving away FREE coffee on Sep. 29, from 7:00 to 11:00 am. You cnn also play some sort of silly online game on their FB page, but it's not necessary in order to go in and get your free coffee tomorrow.

OK, I admit I wasn't going to post this at first because the freebies didn't sound that interesting, but it's my bad for not looking more closely at it. But you still have 3 days' worth of freebies to get! Each day at 9:00 am PDT, Allure is giving away a freebie to the first 10,000 people; today's is a Secret Natural Mineral Deodorant. Tomorrow is an Olay soap bar and then Friday is an Olay SPF moisturizer.

It's a little hectic right now as their servers get overloaded, but 10,000 is a lot of people, so just give it a minute and keep refreshing and you should get yours, stinky.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Want to enjoy a day at the museum for free this weekend? Lucky for you, it's Smithsonian Magazine's Free Museum Day, with over 1,400 participating museums nationwide. Just fill out the form and you'll receive an emailed ticket; take that to the museum and enjoy your $0 day of culture. That should leave you with plenty of spare change for a package of astronaut ice cream from the gift shop.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

On Thursday, September 29, Krispy Kreme will celebrate National Coffee Day and its new Krispy Kreme Signature Coffee Blends by giving a FREE 12oz cup of House Blend Coffee to its guests in the U.S. and Canada. No purchase necessary... but who could blame you if you decided to get yourself a donut to dunk in that coffee while you were there?

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Gummy vitamins are very popular in our household among the vague-desire-to-be-healthy-meets-vague-aversion-to-taking-pills demographic (100% of the total market). So these Disney character gummy vitamins should be just the ticket. Who wouldn't want to chew their favorite Disney princess to death?

Just in time for the rainy (frizzy) season, here's a free sample offer for Dove Nourishing Leave-in Smoothing Cream. 100% frizz control sounds like something I could use during the 10 rainy months of the year in Seattle.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Whether you like rock, hip-hop, jazz, world or classical music, Benaroya Hall is offering a Free Day of Music on September 18, from noon to 6 pm! Over 40 acts will be performing, all for FREE. Looks like there will be some theater and dance performances, too. Check out the full listing and plan your day of music!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Get a free sample of Kleenex Cool Touch tissues, "the only tissue that actively releases a cool sensation to soothe your sore nose on contact." If, you know, that's something you want in your life. I'm not sure I do.

If you like your coffee like you like your men, then you'll definitely want to request a free 1.75 oz sample of Tall, Dark and Handsome coffee. Otherwise, I guess you can just request the Wake Up Joe flavor.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Care for a spot of tea, guv? Pick up to three free samples of Twinings tea! My personal favorite is Lady Grey, but this may be a perfect opportunity to try out some new flavors. What will you be sipping on?

The Borders sale is taking its final tottering steps toward death's door this week... everything is now at least 70% off. I haven't been by for a while because it was just too depressing, but maybe I can find the inner strength to go peek at it one last time.

Who will give us 40% off coupons now? I guess we'll just have to order everything from Amazon.

Get a free L’Oreal Youth Code day/night cream sample — if you're fast! This sample may go quickly and the page can be slow-loading due to high traffic, but it worked for me, so I guess I'll get to cling to my youth just a teensy bit longer.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Oh sure, you're fresh... but could you be fresher? If you suspect that's the case, spruce yourself up with a free sample of Dove Go Fresh body mist and a coupon for a future purchase. Be the freshest of them all!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

It's time for the next round of markdowns in the Borders closing sale: everything is now 60-80% off. (As I walked past the downtown Seattle store this morning, the signs still said 50-70% off, but maybe they're changing the signage today.)

I have to tell you, it's getting pretty depressing in there, between the picked-over shelves and the sorry-looking new merchandise that the liquidators brought in to make the shelves look fuller. But if you're on the hunt for bargains, it's finally getting to steal-of-a-deal markdown levels, so good luck...

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Pledge to put the health of your skin first and get a free sample of Eucerin Everyday Protection SPF 15 body lotion when you fill in the short mailing form. I know it doesn't actually say that on the pledge form, but it should give you a confirmation of your free sample once you go through and submit it.

Monday, August 29, 2011

The Target beauty bag is back! This is a good one, ladies... it's a small makeup bag packed with all kinds of fun beauty samples. It's hard to see from the thumbnail, but this one appears to have some Aveeno and Ponds products in it, maybe an eyeshadow quad palette, and of course a very cute and chic little bag to put it all in. Sign up for yours today!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Summer weather is finally here in Seattle, which basically means we switch from hot coffee to iced coffee for a few months. Of course, there's no need to limit yourself now that Peet's is offering a BOGO coupon on beverages, good through Aug. 30. You may get a couple of strange looks, but if you want to hedge your bets and get a hot tea with your iced latte, you'll probably need them both before the day is over.

It's been a while since we've seen a Tanga magazine deal, but they're always good, and this is no exception: $1.99 for a 1-year subscription to Budget Travel! Sounds like a wise investment to me... and you can order up to 3 years at this rate. Just use promo code BUDGET when you're checking out.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Maintain those pearly whites with a free toothpaste sample from Crest Complete. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like Walmart samples - they always arrive quickly and it's good-quality stuff. I haven't bought a travel-size toothpaste in years, thanks to all these free samples!

Restaurant.com certificates are 80% off again, using promo code TASTY. It's been a while since I ordered any, so I should probably check it out and see if any new places have popped up on the list lately. Or I could just order another coupon for my favorite Greek restaurant in West Seattle. Yeah, maybe I'll do that.

Monday, August 22, 2011

TP is gross, you guys - cover it up! When I was a kid, one of my grandmas used a scary crocheted doll for this purpose and the other one had a stand that looked like a miniature flagpole that could stack four (!) extra rolls. Cottonelle's modern-day solution is a discreet and tastefully patterned roll holder, which you can get free by entering the UPC of a qualifying 12-roll purchase.

Of course, only a cheating cheater would enter the numbers 3600013396instead.

The patterns are cute, but I'm concerned this may be a little too clever. If I was at someone's party and the TP roll ran out, I would assume this canister just held Q-tips or makeup or something, so I'd still be rummaging around under the sink cabinet anyway.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Time for the next round of Borders markdowns... everything is now 40-60% off! That includes 40% off board games and 50% off general fiction, which is relevant to my interests.

They claim that new inventory is arriving in stores from their warehouses, but I wouldn't delay if there's something in particular that you're after - it was starting to look picked over the last time I was in there, about a week ago. Good luck!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Wow, it's turning out to be a great week for thrifty pets! Now we have a free pet food sample from Dr. Tim's when you like them on Facebook. I can't tell if it's just dogs or if they have cat food too - if you sign up for it, let us know!

This is more of a contest, I suppose, but there is a freebie attached to it, so I think it counts enough to post. Sign up to get a copy of Oprah's Lifeclass Journal - I can't tell if it's a blank book embellished with quotes or a "journal" that Oprah has supposedly "filled" with her life lessons. But either way, there are a million of 'em, so hurry and get yours. You can also enter to win a fabulous trip for two to Atlanta to be part of Oprah's first life class event thing, all expenses paid!

I say go for it. In fact, let's make a deal - if you win, you take me, and if I win, I'll take you. Sound fair?

JetBlue is having a fare sale today only for travel through December 15. You'll want to check the fine print and make sure your dates are covered, but it's a great deal if you're willing to travel on non-peak days!

"Offers valid 8/16/11 only (until 11:59 p.m., the earlier of ET or local, or while supplies last) for travel between 9/6-12/15/11. (Blackout Dates: 10/6-10/11/11 and 11/18-11/28/11). Fares not valid for flights on Fridays or Sundays."

Monday, August 15, 2011

Borders has some new discounts this week to encourage everyone to buy more... everything in the store is still 30-50% off, but now you can get an extra 10% off when you buy 6 items, or an extra 15% off when you buy 8 items. It says "off the sale price," meaning they'll first take the 30-50% off and then reduce it from there, so it's not quite the same as tacking on 10-15% off, but it's still a little something.

No? OK, let's all just keep ordering from Amazon, then, where the prices have been this low all along.

"Like" Purina on Facebook and you can get signed up for a free can of Purina Pro Plan cat food. I typed that as Pro Clam the first time... I think I might need to have a little (more) caffeine this morning.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

No strings attached? Well, that's what they say. Sign up for a free one-year subscription to SPIN magazine, courtesy of Lollapalooza 2011. No credit card info is required and they say it's not auto-renewal or anything like that... just a free subscription for music lovers.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Have you guys had Kerrygold cheese? I really like the Dubliner flavor - it's sharp and creamy and excellent just by itself. So that's what I'll be getting with my coupon for a free Kerrygold product. Just take their short cheese survey and there's a signup form at the end so they can mail you a coupon. Say cheese!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Get a free sample of the new CLIF Mojo bars. Well, Mojo bars aren't new (I love the sweet & salty pretzel one), but they have some new flavors: Dipped S'mores, chocolate coconut, and white chocolate macadamia. Be one of the first 5,000 to sign up and you'll get to try one of them free.

Go green this summer with a free tree courtesy of the city of Seattle. Through the Trees for Neighborhoods program, residents get free trees, watering bags, training on proper planting and care, and more.

Apply online by September 1 for trees for your street, or by October 24 for yard trees; you can pick up your free tree starting October 30.

Here's the fine print: "To get your coupon for a Free full-size Moisturizing Body Wash, 'like' the CVS Minute Clinic Facebook page and fill in the form. Your coupon will be emailed to you shortly. Then take it to any CVS/pharmacy and choose Vanilla, Cherry, Escape, Romance, fresh or Tranquil scents. Retail value up to $2.27. Registration for this offer will be open until 11:59 pm ET on 8/17/11. One offer per household, while supplies last. Valid in-store only. Coupon expires 8/20/11."

I'll be the first to admit I'm not entirely sure what's going on here. So there's Head & Shoulders Shampoo which is specifically for women? And Alyson Hannigan doesn't have any girlfriends because her scalp is itchy? So we're supposed to "like" Head & Shoulders for Women on FB to "help Alyson"?

WILLOW, DO YOU NEED MONEY???

Help feed Alyson's babies and calm her itching scalp when you "like" H&SFW on FB and get your free 'poo sample. I think.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Here's a Friday freebie for furry friends: get a free sample of Purina Beneful dog food and get a free sample issue of WagWorld magazine. Something for the dog, something for the human, and everyone's happy.

(On slide 1 of the slideshow, click the orange "Get a Free Sample" button and it will open a window with the fill-in form.)

For those who are keeping a death watch on Borders' closing sale, I just got an email with this update about new markdowns:

Audiobooks, e-readers, DVDs, thrillers, cooking, sci-fi, history, religion, and more are 25% off

Diet, nutrition, biography, self-help, reference, humor, and more are 30% off

Crime, business, philosophy, performing arts, romance, and more are 40% off

Blu-ray now 50% off

Looks like everything in the store is now at least 25% off. Liquidation sales are a delicate dance - you want to wait until the discounts are good enough to be worth it, but not wait so long that everything is picked clean and the good stuff is gone. I might wander over there today just to see how things are looking - have you scored any bargains at the sale?

I'm a bit of a Post-it hoarder, I admit, and back-to-school is a particularly tough time for me because all the shiny new school supplies are on such great sales. But you know what's even better? Free Post-its!

Get your free sample of Post-it durable tabs and storage container labels when you fill out the form.

Is French yogurt the new Greek yogurt? I've never heard of it before, but when you "like" Dannon on Facebook and fill out the form, they'll send you a free coupon for one of 'em.

Fun fact: when you roll over the Greek yogurt tub, a marble head and a column come flying out; when you roll over the French yogurt, an Eiffel tower and a French flag pop up. You know what else is in the French yogurt? 3.5 g of saturated fat. Maybe they snuck some foie gras in there too.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Here's a freebie that's also a good deed: you can sign up with Kiva.org and loan out $25 to an entrepreneur in a developing country at no cost to you! Kiva connects people who want to lend relatively small sums of money with small-business owners who need short-term loans to help their business. So, for example, a dozen people lend $25 each, and a woman in the Philippines now has the $400 she needs to buy fish for her farmer's market stall. The lenders pay you back over time, and then the money is in your account for withdrawal or re-depositing.

I'm a Kiva lender and I really enjoy it - rarely, if ever, have I been defaulted on, and helping people to become independent and support themselves is a good feeling. If you're new to Kiva, check it out and lend someone $25 at no cost to you!

Monday, August 1, 2011

What with today being the first day of this BIC offer, you may want to save yourself the headache and wait a week or so for the chaos to die down. The deal is that BIC is giving away 130 free Atlantis pens every hour, on the hour, from now until August 30. As you can imagine, your chances aren't great this morning, but I'm guessing it will improve.

Personally, I'm planning to wait until about August 22 at 10:59 pm to make my move. See you then!

Grab a free sample of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal or a peanutty dark chocolate granola bar. Kashi bars are actually pretty good, I have to say... I like the coconut and dark chocolate one best, so this peanut one looks like the right choice for me!

Remember, as the discounts get better, the selection gets worse, so if there's something in particular you have your eye on, don't wait too long. And if you have Borders Bucks or gift cards to spend, for goodness' sake GET IN THERE AND USE THEM NOW! They're only valid through July 31 and that's coming up soon.

Monday, July 25, 2011

I just read about a fellow freebie blog based in the Pacific Northwest, called Frugal Living NW. It's more coupon-based than straight-up freebies, which I personally am too lazy for, but if you like the thrill of matching discounts to coupons to make items free, this is a good resource for that.

They also list highlights of local grocery stores' weekly sales, which is a helpful feature if you as as lazy as I am.

Pier 1 has a pretty good online coupon: $10 off a purchase of $10 or more. Looks like there's no minimum purchase, so you could theoretically get $10.01 worth of stuff and get out of there for a penny. It's up to you whether you want to be charitable and throw them a bone by buying a few extra bucks' worth of stuff.

Friday, July 22, 2011

I just went and checked out the Borders closing sale, and while I wasn't blown away, there are some deals to be had. Here are the discounts as far as I could tell - it's 10% off storewide and then some categories have additional markdowns.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

If you have Borders Bucks store credit or gift cards, use 'em while you can! You have until July 31 to use your Borders Bucks, and I wouldn't wait around if you still have gift cards to use. We should be seeing some pretty good deals, right down to the fixtures and furnishings, so get ready to pick over the corpse of one of the biggest national bookstore chains. :P

Feeling like some refreshing, chilly fro-yo? Grab a friend and head to Pinkberry, where you can BOGO your yo'! Get one free small Pinkberry, in any available flavor and topping, when you buy another of equal or greater value.

Monday, July 18, 2011

While I doubt I'll be signing up this free sample myself anytime soon, if you know anyone with a baby, chances are they could use a free Huggies diaper. (Bonus: these are usually conveniently packaged in a small box, so it would be easy to tuck into a bag for emergencies!) Get your free sample today.

Finally, something besides Borders coupons, amirite? Since it looks like we might have a summeresque day (after a disappointing weekend of rain), here are some totally free summer music playlists from Amazon for your downloading pleasure:

Monday, July 11, 2011

Today is 7-11, and you know what that means: free Slurpees at 7-11! Well, participating stores, anyway. If I'm reading correctly, it might be just the 11-oz size that's free, but hey, a wee free Slurpee is better than none at all, right?

Friday, July 8, 2011

Yep, the 40% coupon is back! I don't really need anything this time, but I feel I should use it anyway, just to show my appreciation and keep the coupons coming. Anyone have any suggestions for a nice trashy beach read? True-crime or ghastly memoir, maybe?

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Wow, the prices just keep getting better and better. You can now get a 2011 Entertainment Book for just $8.99! Shipping is free, but a little slow, so order soon if you want to get the most use out of your books; the coupons inside are good through November.

These things are so cheap now that it will pay for itself the first time you use a coupon, and then it will be months of savings ahead! I'm excited to use the BOGO zoo and aquarium coupons in there, and maybe a museum or two. What summer stuff would you like to save on?

Friday, July 1, 2011

If you're curious about exploring different dairy lifestyle choices, you may be interested in this freebie: a coupon for a free Lactaid half-and-half carton. Just fill out the form and you'll get a printable coupon for your beverage-enhancing enjoyment.

Borders has a 30% off coupon good this holiday weekend. If you're traveling for the holiday, now might be a good time to stock up on some vacation reading... or an audiobook or DVD to keep unruly passengers quiet on those gridlocked highways.

Entertainment Books are a good deal any time of the year, but especially now, when summer's in full swing, there are months of good weather ahead for outdoor activities, and the coupons are good through November. All books are now just $9.99 on sale.

Inside you'll find tons of BOGOs to restaurants, cafes, zoos, museums, plays, ballets, local sightseeing attractions, and other activities. Plus they have additional printable discounts online, and now I guess even a mobile app so you can show your discounts (no worries if you forget the coupon at home!).

If you don't have a 2011 one yet, or if you're taking a summer trip somewhere else, these are definitely worth checking out. One BOGO dinner and the book pays for itself, and then the rest is savings gravy.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Want a free full-sized bottle of 'poo? Pantene Pro-V shampoo or conditioner, that is. Well, all you have to do is "like" Pantene on Facebook and fill out the form to get your coupon for a free bottle in the mail! And they're giving away 454,000 of them, so you can even take your sweet time completing the offer.

This might be the first time we've had a pet freebie — as in, free pets, not freebies for pets. The Seattle Animal Shelter is apparently way over capacity right now, so they're encouraging people to adopt by waiving their usual $130-200 fees. All you pay is a 2-year pet license, about $27.

"The free adoption package includes initial vaccinations, deworming, feline leukemia testing for cats, a certificate for a free health exam by a local veterinarian, the spaying or neutering, and a microchip."

This offer is good through July 3, so if you're looking to add a furry friend to your life and do a good deed, head on over!

Monday, June 27, 2011

The 4th of July is coming up... and the 40% off Borders coupon is here! Depending on your plans, now might be an excellent time to pick up a BBQ cookbook, some U.S. history, or a how-to guide on home firework construction. OK, maybe not that last one.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The first 30,000 lucky souls who head on over to Facebook and "like" Aveda can get three free samples for their trouble. The site is pretty busy right now, as you might imagine, but hang in there and keep hitting Refresh...

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Happy first day of summer, everyone! Today, you can celebrate the warm weather with free admission to U.S. national parks. Many of our 394 national parks are free all the time, but over 100 of them are waiving their fees for today.

If you're lucky enough to have the day off today (or called in "sick"), get out and enjoy some nature for free!